Sheet feeding mechanism foe feinting machines



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G.P.-READ. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

N0. 593,030. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. F. READ. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MAGHINES.

$10 593,030. Patented Nov, 2,1897.

mc NnRnvS PEYERS co. wmoutna. WASHINGTON. ov cv (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. P. READ. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MAGHINES. No. 598,030. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

' ''T"' ''"''v f (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

G. P. READ. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

N0.'593,030. Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

g I m4 UNITED STATES Parent rrrcn.

GEORGE F. READ, OF BROOKLYN, NE /V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOE, THEODORE I-I. MEAD, AND CHARLES W. CARPENTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHEET-FEEDING MECHANiSM FOR PRINTING=MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,030, dated November 2, 1897. Application filed January 21,1896. Serial No. 576,260. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. READ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeding Mechanism for Printing-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

' This invention relates to the means for feeding sheets to a printing-machine, and more especially to that class of printing-machines known as perfecting, the object being to adapt said machine not only to be primarily fed from a rolled web of paper from which the sheets are formed as they pass to the printing-machine, but also enable said printing mechanism to be fed with cut sheets by hand manipulation. The invention includes these two forms of feeding mechanisms co-related so that one or the other may be used as is required. It also embraces sheetgoverning rolls and stops cooperating therewith whereby the forward end of the sheet maybe straightened before its delivery to the impression-cylinder,and in combination therewith of a sheetfeeding mechanism running, preferably, at a high speed, so as to cause said straightening operation. It furthermore includes an improvement in the gripper mechanism of said sheet-feeding apparatus, all of which improvements are more fully hereinafter explain ed in connection with the accompanying drawings.

A preferable practical embodiment of these improvements is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a rotary printingmachine having this feeding apparatus attached as is necessary to illustrate the construction and operation thereof. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same, the upper type-cylinder and its driving-gear being removed to expose the gearing on the first impression-cylinder below it and the feedboard being removed to expose the parts heneath it. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of some of the principal parts of the feeding apparatus and the first printing-cylinder, the

latter being in sectional elevation. Fig. dis an enlarged plan view of many of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the end of the feeding-cylinder, taken on a section-line within the side frame; and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one end of the same.

As this improved feeding mechanism is more especially adapted therefor, it is shown as connected with a rotating printing meeh anism which, as illustrated, is composed of impression-cylinders A B and type or form cylinders O D, to the firstimpression-cylinder A of which the sheets are primarily delivered. As herein shown, these impression-cylinders A B are respectively provided with sheetcarrying pins 10 11 12 13, and the type or form cylinders O D are furnished with inking mechanisms and other necessary appliances.

There is a feeding mechanism of ordinary 4 construction adapted to act upon a continu- 7o ous web, as from the rolled web Vi, form the same into sheets by'a cutting mechanism carried by the cylinders 70, and deliver the same to the action of controlling-rollers 3O 31, which deliver the sheets to said impressioncylinder A in timely coiiperation therewith. There is also a hand-fed sheet-feeding apparatus surmounting the web-feeding apparatus, which also delivers the sheets to said controlling-rollers 30 31.

The impression and form cylinders of the printing mechanism are geared together so as to run in unison, as is usual, (see Fig. 1,) by the wheels 50 51, which gear the first impression-cylinder A and the second impressioncylinder B together, and by the wheels 80 81 on the shafts of the form-cylinders, which gear, respectively, with the wheels 50 51. The sheet-controllin g rollers 30 31 are geared together by means of pinions 57 58, (see Fig. 1,) and said rollers are driven at a surface speed uniform with that of the printing-cylinders through the pinion 58, which gears with a wheel 59 on one end of the impression-cylinder A for that purpose. These sheet-controlling rollers 30 31, mounted in bearings adjacent to the cylinder A, are at the forward end of a sheet-guiding chute formed by conduc tors 28 29,which bridge a space slightly greater than a sheets length between said rollers 30 31 and feeding or forwarding rollers 40 41, the latter of which forward the sheets received from the feeding apparatus into said chute. These conductors forming the chute are supported and held separated a suitable distance apart to form a way for the sheets by means of cross-rods fixed to the framework, and the upper conductors 28 have their heels entered into recesses in the rollers 40 and their for ward ends passed through like recesses in the roller 30 and are curved to coincide with the periphery of the roller 31 and extend close to the periphery of the impression-cylinder A.

The conductors 29 extend rearwardly through appropriate recesses in the roller 41 and have their heels extended close to the periphery of the cutting-cylinder 70, while their forward ends enter recesses in the roller 31 and terminate just rearward of the nipping-point of the rollers 30 31. has its periphery cut away, as is indicated at 32, so as to present at each revolution a nonoperative portion which suspends its nipping action upon the surface of roller 31 during the passage of such recessed portion over the roller 31. At about the nippingpoint of these rollers 30 31 a set of vibrating sheet-stops are arranged to play in recesses in the roller 31, said stops 2O projecting from a rock-shaft 75, appropriately rocked by a rock-arm 82, carried at the end of an actuating-rod 83, which is pressed by a spring '34,

so as to hold the stops 20' in their raised position and moved to withdraw said stops by means of a friction-roller 85, which is acted upon by a 'cam 86. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

The space between the feeding-roller 40 and cutting-cylinder 60 is occupied by a switch 88, the active faces of which may coincide either with the periphery of the roller 40 or with that part of the conductors 29 which extend between the roller 41 and cutting-cylinder 70, the point of said switch playing in recesses in the rollers 40 41 and its heels, respectively, in recesses in the periphery of the feeding-cylinder and close to the periphery of the cutting-cylinder 60. hen the feed is from a web, as the rolled web WV, mounted in any convenient place, said web is led through feeding-rolls 42 43, thence between cutting-cylinders 6O 70, thence between the feeding-rollers 4O 41, and thence through the feeding-guides 28' 29 and the controlling-rollers 3O 31, and rollers 42 43 and 4041 and cylinders 60 70 are rotated by means of toothed wheels 52 53 54 55, driven by the wheel 50 on the impression-cylinder A, which wheel 55 drives the feeding-cylinder F through a pinionv 56, which is adjustable out of and into gear with wheel 55, said cylinder F being also supplied with a wheel 61, secured to pinion 56, which meshes with a pinion 46 on the shaft of the feeding'roller 40, which in turn drives a companion pinion on the shaft of roller 41.

The shaft of the lower cutting-cylinder '70 is provided with a wheel 66, that is adjustable thereon out of and into gear with the The roller wheel 55 and when in mesh therewith drives said cylinder 70, which cylinder is also provided on its end with a wheel 63, secured to wheel 66, which gears with a companion wheel 62 on the end of cylinder 60, the wheel 63 also driving the feeding-rollers 41 through an intermediate 67, that gears with the pinion on the end of the lower feeding-roll 41, said wheel 63 on its other side gearing with an intermediate 68, which drives pinions 04 65 on the ends of the feeding-rollers 42 43.

When feeding from a roll or web, as WV, the wheel 66, through which the cutting-eylind er 70 is driven and which has one-half the number of teeth in wheel on impression-cylinder A, is in mesh with wheel and is driven by it, making two revolutions for one revolution of the impression-cylinder A, the wheel 63, which is secured to wheel 66, being in mesh with the intermediate 67 and driving the feeding-rollers 40 41 at the same surface speed as the cutting-cylinders 7 0; but when the feedingcylinder F is to be used the pinion 56, through which said cylinder is driven, having been out of engagement with wheel 55 during the roll-feed, is now moved into engagement with it, as is also the wheel 61, into mesh with the pinion 46 on feeding-roller 40 to drive it at the same surface speed as the feeding-cylinder, and as it is not necessary that the cutting cylinder should operate at this time wheels 66 and 63 are disengaged from the wheels 55 and 67, respectively.

As it is desirable in the rotary printing-machines to have the sheets follow each other as closely as possible upon the printing-cylinder, so that as much of its surface as possible may be utilized for printing, only such slight space between sheet and sheet should be provided as will accommodate the action of the sheet seizing and carrying devices with which printing-machines are provided. In this case these devices are impaling-pins 1O 11 12 13, which pins are protruded and withdrawn from the cylinder by means of rock-arms operating in a common way, not necessary to be described here, said pins 10 11 taking the sheets successively from the controlling-rollers 3O 31 and delivering them to the pins 12 13 of the second impression-cylinder in like manner as is common in this art in transferring sheets from one cylinder to another.

The cutting-cylinders 6O 70 are slightly less than half the size of the printing-cylinders A B, and hence these cutting-cylinders, although they make two revolutions to one of the printing-cylinders,run at slightly-less surface speed than the printing-cylinders and the controlling-rollers 3O 31 driven at the same speed as said printing-cylinders. These cutting-cylinders produce a sheet for every halfrevolution of the printing-cylinders, which sheet length, as before intimated, is slightly less than the distance between the feedingrollers 40 41 and 30 31, and as in this structure the cutting mechanisms carried by the cutting-cylinders 60 7O perforate the sheet width wise, said sheet will, when nipped by the controlling'rollers 3O 31, which form breakingrollers, take up a slightly-increased speed and thus be detached on the partially-severed line from the web, the leading end of which sheet guided by the conductors 28 to the cylinder A being impaled by the pinssay of that cylinder, and thus carried upon its surface and onward through the printing mechanisms. hen thus operating from a web, the switches 88 will be set in a position indicated by the dotted lines shown in Fig. 3, and the stops maybe thrown out of operation. By this mode of feeding sheets from a web a very close relation of sheet and sheet may be attained in the printing-machine. As it has become necessary to provide these machines with hand sheet'feeding devices it is requisite that a sufficient interval shall be had between sheet and sheet in order to allow the feedguides to drop after a sheet has passed them and then rest in their lower position a sufficient time to enable a succeeding sheet to be adjusted against them. This in terval or space between the sheets is obtained in the handfed apparatus now being described by causing the surface of the feeding-cylinder F to revolve at a greater speed than that of the printing-cylinders, which is accomplished by means of the gearing driving it. The periphery of the feeding-cylinder is equal to the length of one sheet and preferably makes two revolutions for each sheet fed or four revolutions toone of the printing-cylinders.

The dropping sheet gages or guides 14, with which the feeding-cylinder F is supplied, are fast upon a rock-shaft 33, that is moved to appropriately raise and lower said gages or guides by means of a rock-arm 31, which is moved at appropriate times by a cam 35, that is rotated by a wheel 36, driven by a pinion 37, fast on the'shaft of the cylinder F.

Each sheet taken in succession from a pile on the table T has its forward end or leading edge laid against the guides 14, which guides at the proper time during the revolution of the cylinder F rise to release said sheet about simultaneously with. the movement of the grippers 15, whereby they close to seize and carry the same onward around the cylinder F. These grippers are mounted upon a rockshaft 6, journ'aledin the heads of cylinder F, said shaft being suitably rocked by means of a segment 3, pivoted to one end or head of the cylinder F, which segment meshes with a pinion 4, carried by the gripper-shaft, and is vibrated to close said grippers to seize the sheet and open the same to release itby means of a projecting stud 2, which contacts with a cam 16, that is fixed to the framework by a bracket 8, said grippers being normally held closed by means of a spring-seated rod 18, which is reciprocated by means of a rack at its outer end, that meshes with the pinion 4 and is held to duty by a roller 7.

The cylinder F makes two revolutions for each sheet taken by the grippers, and the lat ter must therefore only close at every second revolution of the cylinder. In order to hold the grippers open on the alternate nonoperative revolution, said segment is provided with a depending central toe 1, that may rest upon a disk 9, encircling the shaft of the feeding-cylinder F, which disk when alined with said toe acts as a stop, preventing the inward movement of the segment 3, whereby the grippers are closed, thus suspending them in their open position, as in Fig. 5. This disk is capable of sliding laterally upon said shaft and is carried fast to a grooved collar 21, that is moved to and fro on the shaft by means of an operating-lever 22, having a pin entering its groove and being pivoted so as to be vibrated by means of a cam 23, that is carried on the short shaft upon which the wheel 36 is mounted, and thus makes one turn for every two of the cylinder, said disk being thus brought under the projecting toe of the segment and held there during one revolution of the cylinder F, so as to prevent the stud 2 from following the low part of the cam and thus closing the grippers.

Thus the sheet taken by the grippers 15 during each second revolution of the cylinder -F will, when the switches 88 are set, as in Fig.

3, carry said sheet onward and deliver its leading end within the face of the switches 88 and roller 40, the sheet thus being guided between the feeding-rollcrs aOlel and forced out in the chute formed by the conductors 28 29 until its leading end abuts against the stops 20, then in a raised position, as in Fig. 3. These stops arrest the sheet and enable its edge to be straightened up against the stops, where it momentarily rests untihthe leading edge of the full part ofthe rollers 30 nip it, whereupon the stop drops and the sheet is fed onward, guided by the conductors in a true position with respect to the pins which impale it and carry it onward upon the surface of the impression-cylinder A for the printing operation, the accuracy of the feed of the sheet being thus nicely determined by the cooperation of said mechanisms.

Although the sheet-guiding chute is best formed by the conductors 28 29, it is feasible to substitute tapes for either or both of them, and hence such a structure is to be considered as their equivalent.

That is claimed is 1. The combination with a web-printing machine, of two sheet-feeding mechanisms, one consisting of suitable feeding-rollers, cutting-cylinders and breaking-rollers, and the other of a feeding-cylinder provided with sheet-carrying devices, forwarding-rolls and a conveying-chute leading to the sheet-path way of the first'named mechanism, substantially as described. I

2. The combination with the impressioncylinder of a printing-machine and sheet-controlling rollers running at like speed therewith, one of which has an interrupted surface or uon-feedin g portion, of a sheet-feeding cylinder delivering sheets to said controllingrollers, and a coacting stop to temporarily arrest the sheet, straighten the same and then release it, substantially as described.

3. The combination with sheet-feeding rollers 40, 41, sheet-controlling rollers 30, 31, and an interposed guideway, said roller 30 being recessed to provide it with a non-feeding portion, of vibrating sheet-stops 2O cooperating with said rollers 30, 31, and a sheet-carrying impression-cylinder A, substantially as described.

i. The combination with the cylinder F and its grippers 15, pinion 4 and segment 2 having a projection 1 and stud 2, of a earn as 16 and bearing-disk 9 and means for laterally moving said disk into and out of range of said projection 1, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the cylinder F, its

20 grippers 15, pinion 4: and segment 3 having the projection 1, of a collar 9 carried by a sliding sleeve, a lever for moving said sleeve, a cam for operating said lever and gearing connecting the shaft of the cam with that of the cylinder in proportion of two to one, so that the said grippers shall be locked open during the alternate revolutions of; said feeding-cylinder, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the feeding-rollers 40, 41, 30, 31 and the feeding-cylinder F with its sheet-carrying devices, of the switch 88, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE F. READ.

Witnesses i F. .11. CRANE, E. L. Srnra. 

